US retail sales of tofu – which for years occupied a solid, but sleepy, niche in a plant-based meat category increasingly propelled by brands seeking to precisely match the taste and texture of conventional meat – have caught fire in recent weeks, says...
The plant-based Impossible Burger is now available at 2,100 Walmart stores in 50 states, says Impossible Foods, which has been aggressively ramping up its retail presence this year, with distribution expanding from just 150 stores in January 2020 to more...
The buzz around plant-based meat alternatives is strong, but what is the full consumer perception of plant-based protein products in terms of nutrition and healthfulness compared to animal meat, and what motivates consumers to buy plant alternatives?...
The Better Meat Co - a Sacramento-based startup supplying plant-based proteins that “blend seamlessly into ground meat products” at inclusion rates of 30-50% to create a new wave of ‘hybrid’ products - has closed an $8.1m seed round, bringing its total...
Despite growing interest in plant-based foods, the majority of meat eaters believe ‘real meat’ is the best source of protein, while nearly half of consumers who identify as flexitarians, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans – diets that limit or eliminate...
Perceived health benefits remain the #1 purchase driver for plant-based foods according to new consumer research from innovation consultancy Mattson, although environmental factors, taste (in the case of plant-based dairy), and the sense that ‘I feel...
Animal proteins will become less of a center-of-the-plate staple for many consumers, according to Mintel, which attributes the shift to the ability to meet protein needs from a wider variety of sources, and ongoing concerns about food safety and price...
Plant-based meat sales increased by an average of 23% when sold in the meat department next to animal proteins, according to new research from Kroger and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).
Plant-based meat manufacturers can more easily mimic the texture, appearance and flavor of animal products while simultaneously simplifying their ingredient decks with the help of two new ingredients that Florida Food Products will unveil at the Institute...
Meati Foods (formerly Emergy Foods) is gearing up for the direct-to-consumer launch of protein- and fiber-packed fungi-based ‘steaks’ in Q4 after a successful debut in foodservice, carving out new territory in an alternative meat category that remains...
Daring Foods – a startup seeking to punch above its weight in the plant-based chicken category via a lower calorie product with a shorter, cleaner, ingredients list and bold branding – says it’s enjoying an above average sell-through rate in Sprouts,...
The LIVEKINDLY co., which launched in March with the ambition of becoming one of the largest plant-based food companies, has acquired Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!, known for its soy-based burgers, strips, and pulled meat products.
MycoTechnology – which is building a functional ingredients platform utilizing mycelia, the filament-like roots of mushrooms - has raised $39m in a series D financing round from investors* including plant-based meat specialist Greenleaf Foods to Tyson...
San Francisco-based startup Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – is now in talks with retailers looking to expand their plant-based meat set.
Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.
New technology could reduce saturated fat and significantly improve the taste and texture of plant-based meat and dairy products, claims Motif FoodWorks, which is working on a variety of ingredients to make these foods more “craveable.”
As the plant-based food sector continues to grow (up 11% in dollar sales in 2019 to $5bn), the category has become an integral part of many grocery retailers’ store assortments, marketing, and promotional strategies, according to The Good Food Institute...
Rebellyous Foods – a Seattle-based startup that has been targeting high-volume foodservice accounts with plant-based chicken nuggets – has made a dramatic pivot to retail with the launch of family-packs at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest.
Beyond Meat is taking a series of “offensive measures” to chart a course through the coronavirus pandemic, including switching some foodservice production lines over to retail products, developing value packs, offering more aggressive pricing, and building...
As more meat plants temporarily close or operate at reduced capacity as coronavirus spreads, plant-based brands “have a window of opportunity to present themselves as more reliable alternatives,” says Lux Research. But no production facilities are immune...
While the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger have spawned a wave of soy- and pea-protein fueled copy-cats seeking to precisely mimic the taste and texture of beef, there is room in the plant-based foods market for products made from a broader range of...
While some shoppers have shared photos of empty meat cases next to fully-stocked shelves of plant-based meat on social media, the latest Nielsen data suggests that retail sales of meat alternatives increased significantly in March alongside their animal-based...
Impossible Foods has raised $500m in a Series F funding round led by new investor Mirae Asset Global Investments, with participation from existing investors including Khosla Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Temasek. The move brings its total funding...
LIVEKINDLY co., a new plant-based food company which recently acquired LikeMeat, The Fry Family Food Co., and content startup LIVEKINDLY Media, is building an economy of scale for plant-based chicken to eventually become the "most affordable protein...
Atlast Food Co – a startup using mycelium (the filament-like roots of mushrooms) to create ‘meaty’ textured edible 3D structures – has been working with innovation consultancy Mattson to help commercialize its first product later this year: meatless bacon.
The latest innovation from Beyond Meat – the Beyond Breakfast Sausage - will hit the frozen breakfast meat section at ACME, Albertsons, Key Foods, Kings, Pavilions, Raley’s, ShopRite, Vons, Wegmans and Whole Foods later this month.
Impossible Foods is expanding its product lineup and dropping prices to foodservice distributors by an average of 15% as it seeks to make plant-based meat "ubiquitous, super mainstream, and super mass market."
Meat giant JBS is making a big push into the plant-based meat arena via a new subsidiary – Boulder, CO-based Planterra Foods – which will make its debut in grocery stores across the US in mid-April with refrigerated burgers, grounds, and meatballs under...
While its CEO says engaging in an increasingly heated debate over the merits of plant- vs animal-based meat can be a “zero sum” game, Beyond Meat plans to go on the offensive this year with digital and media campaigns that celebrate its ingredients and...
Do plant-based meats and cheeses deliver the texture consumers crave? Food Navigator-USA caught up with Dr. Mike Leonard, CTO at Motif FoodWorks, which is developing ‘high impact’ ingredients that could be added to existing formulations in small quantities...
Don Lee Farms has filed a 3rd amended complaint vs Beyond Meat, accusing it of doctoring a food safety consultant’s report and sharing trade secrets with Don Lee's rivals to help them “actively solicit” to replace Don Lee as Beyond Meat’s co-manufacturer...
While a new cell-based meat company emerges from stealth mode almost every month, the amount of money invested in the embryonic sector to date pales in comparison to the megabucks poured into plant-based meat over the past couple of years. So is slaughter-free...
Plant-based food brand Alpha Foods has raised $28m in a funding round led by VC fund AccelFoods and supported by New Crop Capital, Green Monday and Blue Horizon, bringing its total funding to around $40m.
While 42 out of the top 100 US restaurant chains still don’t offer a plant-based entrée, new data from NPD Group commissioned by the Good Food Institute (GFI) shows US shipments of plant-based meat from major broadline foodservice distributors to restaurant...
Beyond Meat has hit back at former co-manufacturer Don Lee Farms after experiencing further setbacks in its legal dispute with the firm, which alleges it wrongfully terminated a supply contract, telling reporters that, “We simply couldn’t get Don Lee...
Growing demand for dairy and meat alternatives with shorter, cleaner ingredients lists is driving demand for citrus fibers, which can replace everything from carrageenan, gellan gum, mono diglycerides, and lecithin in plant-based milks, to methyl cellulose...
Gardein, the second largest brand in the meat-alternatives space, has upped its plant-based burger game with the launch of the Ultimate Plant-Based Burger, which the brand says provides consumers with a craveworthy burger experience.
The plant-based Impossible Sausage – the latest innovation from Impossible Foods – will debut next week at Burger King outlets in five states in the 'Impossible Croissan'wich' for a limited period.
Chicken is the world's most popular animal-based protein, but when it comes to a plant-based version, the market is due for some innovation, said CEO of Daring Foods, Ross Mackay.
Kroger has started trialing dedicated three-foot plant-based meat sets within its conventional meat department in 60 stores in Denver, Indiana and Illinois in partnership with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).
Upton’s Naturals and the Plant Based Foods Association have dropped a lawsuit* challenging legislation banning plant-based foods sold in Mississippi from using ‘meaty’ terms on labels, after the law was revised to allow them to use such terms with qualifiers...
After entering 450 US Whole Foods locations across 43 US states earlier this year, UK-based The Meatless Farm Co, has launched its meat-free products at New York City restaurant, Pomodoro Rosso.
A federal bill that would require plant-based and cell-cultured meat products to be labeled as ‘imitation’ meat has been welcomed by beef producers and slammed by plant-based meat advocates, as the row over terminology in the burgeoning space heats up.
A series of ads attacking the next generation of plant-based burgers as ‘ultra-processed’ products ‘hiding’ scary unpronounceable ingredients is a crude attempt by a “dark-money front group funded by Big Beef to mislead consumers and push propaganda,”...
Lightlife's new plant-based meat burgers, sausages and grounds are rolling out to more than 12,000 retails stores where they will be sold in the meat aisle alongside animal proteins.
Improved Nature – which is carving a distinct path in the plant-based meat segment with a fibrous protein that replicates whole muscle – is making its retail debut in 300+ ShopRite stores in the New York Metro Area with a line of nuggets, tenders and...
As the race to expand protein options for plant-based meats heats up, Colorado-based MycoTechnology has thrown its hat into the ring with a texturized version of PureTaste, a vegetable protein produced via the fermentation of pea and rice proteins with...
In 2020, diners ordering Nestlé's plant-based Awesome Burger (in the US) or Incredible Burger (in Europe) will be able to pair it with plant-based cheese and bacon via the 'PB triple play’: a "no-compromise plant-based bacon cheeseburger."
The Impossible Burger, which is sold in more than 17,000 restaurants nationwide, is now seeing explosive demand for its products at retail stores, new territory for the brand.
Beyond Meat has struck a deal with McDonald’s to test its plant-based patties in a 12-week trial in 28 restaurants in Ontario, Canada, starting September 30.
